Arus Eyes
by Ringhuiniele
Summary: Reports of two murders in town and in the other province catches Allura's attention that she decides to visit the chief constable. She later encounters "The Cleaner" who abducts her. Keith tracks her down and the perpetrator. Meanwhile, Vela, a Drule Intelligence agent is in Arus to gather information behind Commander Kala's demise and Maahox plans.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: The story starts after episode 2 "Defenders of Arus" and will be weaving between some scenes from episode 3 "Defenders of the Universe," but not too much. There is only one bit mentioned from episode 23 "Roots of Evil" though but that was it. What else? I was intrigued with Kala and her prickly interaction with Maahox as seen in the show so I thought something else must have gone wrong between these two.

Thanks keithandallura for the image since I messed up my own version. *grinz*

/_words italized_/ - means Kala's recorded message as recalled by Vela while following Zanir.

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron or any of the recognizable characters that populate this universe, the vehicles, and settings. All the other characters and planets created are sole property of the author. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment and relief from work. (lolz) I am not receiving money for this story.

* * *

Arus Eyes

CHAPTER ONE

* * *

The bond thrummed whenever he reached out for her through his thoughts, ever since he had come in to her life, Allura had associated the cool, steady, and tempered fire as Keith.

"Last minute royal duties?" Keith's hand was a feather touch on her shoulder, making sure he wasn't interrupting as she read the constable's report posted on the monitor. He pulled up a seat beside her and started accessing the same reports sent by Chief Andros. He also brought up several of Coran's side notes on the matter.

This had been customary for many years as Coran eased Allura in to the duties of a ruling monarch while carrying her responsibility as an integral part of the Voltron team. The transition years were long and trying. There was even a time when Allura heavily considered stepping down from piloting Blue, but she knew in her heart it wasn't time yet.

However, Allura understood she will one day give way to the new pilot, and once she came to realize this certainty and shared those thoughts with Keith, she had felt at peace. Coran and Allura agreed to do this transition until a suitable pilot came to take her place. Then Allura would take on the mantle as sovereign ruler which her father had left her.

It was moments like these that Allura took advantage without Coran hovering too much like a mother hen to keep abreast of her planet's affairs. It was a regular routine for her before she ended the day in the castle. Since Coran left Arus a week ago in order to attend a galactic assembly, the elderly statesman left some extra castle duties for Allura to oversee while he was away.

Allura's concern flared across her comely countenance while she tabbed the next report as she continued going through related news cases from another township. "Two cases from Lazar Province and two in town?" She belatedly acknowledged the masculine fingers interlacing with hers, successfully drawing her attention away from her console, and regarded the person seated next to her.

"It looks like they could be related." Keith affectionately squeezed her hand and she appreciatively reciprocated in return.

"I'd like to check this out and visit Chief Andros." She sent out an electronic message to the chief constable to expect her visit tomorrow.

Their mental touch was similar to the morning glow of the coming of dawn. It was warm, vibrant and enshrouding. Here, the internal life connection they shared made their hearts sing in glorious unison.

It could be described as ribbons of light. Well, it was how Allura imagined it when she explained the phenomenon to Keith before. She was grateful she found her knight from the stars. A smile broke across her countenance as she caught their reflection off Keith's monitor. Keith was grinning back and immediately pressed the button for the console's camera to take a photo of them.

"Sneaky." Allura chuckled and watched Keith type her pass codes, accessing her private archives to add a copy of their picture.

"I thought you needed one." He completed the file addition while maintaining his grin, "and since one-armed Lance will be busy with the cadets, I'm free to help." He smiled while he went to check the castle's array defenses.

"Thank you. I'll also see if I can get Larmina an early off from her studies. I need to teach my niece the other aspects of royal duties."

Keith chuckled. Allura heard him after all.

* * *

"**Be** insubordinate again, Captain, and I will be teaching you the finer things of the Haggarium quasar." Kala severed the commlink and bristled.

Commander Kala's statuesque frame reflected off the port-window of her office as she gazed out from the only relief of the ship's monotonous interior design. Having this window in the office was the only reason she would take this ship for extended space missions. She cannot remember how this quirk of needing a window was crucial for her, how it came about and why she could not get rid of it no matter how many 'sessions' she attended.

All the mind-numbing talk about examining choices and whatever made her tick had worn her down to the point that the routine meetings became tiresome. She felt violated admitting to her physician her unguarded thoughts, so silencing him was a prudent call. However, when assignments came, Commander Kala was surprised to have been assigned to the new star-cluster cruisers group, thus confirming the rumors that the walls of a so-called private clinic have ears.

The stars lengthened into straight beams of light the moment her ship went to hyperspeed. She needed the quiet to compose her thoughts, away from the curious ears of her command crew. She could not trust any of them even if her life depended on it. Yet there was one she could trust which made her skin crawl, because trusting another Drule was a foreign concept to her and she rarely shared trust among her peers.

Kala had had her fair share of dealings with DI (Drule Intelligence) agents before, but she had made an unlikely ally more than five years ago when Vela rescued her from a trap. Kala later found out Maahox had implemented it, but instead of tipping her hand to the scientist, she kept her mouth shut and started devising her plans. She knew the ranks within the intelligence community were rife with backstabbers and turncoats, which was why it befuddled her that she placed her trust in Vela. As always, whenever she found herself introspecting, she knew she was having a bad day.

She dismissed her dead-end musings and turned her attention to the portable tablets that miraculously piled into a mountain atop her table before checking the time on her chronometer. She still had time to make an audio message. A stubborn thought pushed out. She knew if one of Maahox's plans turned south, she was likely the next victim of convenient circumstance.

She brought a fist done on the desk, rattling the tablets from their neat stack. The need to outsmart Maahox has blinded her, and for two years his endgame still eluded her. A line of curses sprang from her lips. Time wasn't on her side now. She could feel the treacherous scientist had something in store for her,and there was nothing to quell the growing feeling of betrayal swirling at the pit of her stomach. She hated being pushed into a corner and realized that what she was going to do next was tantamount to her crying for help.

Kala switched the recorder on. She wondered if the intended listeners would be on the other side of this link once the code was cycled and activated. Vela and the other four had gone dark so many years ago and news of their whereabouts was always hazy. There was no turning back. She needed someone to know. Kala began her message.

* * *

_/"If you have received this message then my life has been deemed forfeit."/_

* * *

The Arusian night was a glorious evening, and it caught her breath when she decided to behold the sight for a few minutes. She was not familiar with these constellations yet relished the idea of spending time getting acquainted with these stars, perhaps even staying on this planet. She shook her head when her target made a sound below her. She had been following the man for an hour and was puzzled by his most circuitous route tonight unlike the previous week. She wondered if he had plans in going to the hideout at all. On the roof, she easily melted into the shadow as if it was a waiting lover.

Zanir, a man with a lumbering gait, stopped for the third time and turned around to check the darkened streets of the town. He was about to pass the last house when the prickly feeling that he wasn't alone came back again. He gulped. He wasn't good at this, and for the life of him he didn't know why he had to accept. No! He knew why. That Drule scientist had his daughter. He would do anything to keep her safe. His hand drew up and patted down the thin sheen of perspiration off his forehead with his sleeve despite the cool breeze entering the town. He hated these meetings. He quickly ducked behind the last house and made his way to the vacant and disused patch of land, then came up to a high wall. He walked the length of it and proceeded through one crumbling section, which opened onto a disused property.

Zanir shone his flashlight around for signs of being followed. He poked through the shadows as far as the beam would let him. He wasn't afraid of being seen now that he was out of the town limits. Now, suspicion was his ally since he owned the property even in its disused state. The wars had ravaged his finances, and his business as a jeweler hasn't picked up as he had hoped. With what little money he had he could care for the land, little by little. Satisfied there was no one else on his property, he trudged on.

The night deepened. The only remaining trees on the property provided ominous shadows on the ground. He almost thought a Robeast was out to claim his life. He stopped to steady his racing heart while he glanced up the gentle incline where the moon was a baleful watcher.

* * *

_/"You will find all the information I have gathered since the last time we met face to face."/_

* * *

A female hooded figure waited at the opening of the border wall and observed Zanir's slow progress up the incline. She watched him reach the top of the incline before disappearing completely from her sight. She sprinted the distance, keeping to the shadows until the shadows retreated from the moon's interfering grace. She hugged the ground and switched her visor on. The incline bottomed out to a dried riverbed, and Zanir walked along the bank until he arrived at an old well.

He was doing something on one brick that Vela could barely make out from her spot. Manipulating the compact control pad sewn to her vambrace, she managed to increase her visor's magnifying range. "Another different code," she pressed the recording button of her visor to enable the recording.

Vela lowered her head when the man glanced up in her general direction. Before she could snake her way down, she felt the pangs of her old pain sear her insides. The burn on her nerves left her gasping for breath and it took much of her willpower to clamp her mouth to prevent from crying out in pure agony. With trembling fingers, she adjusted her wrist medical scanner and was surprised at the level of toxins that had flooded her nervous system. She quickly assigned the necessary dosage and the portable device did the rest. She felt a small prick under her wrist and immediately her body stopped quaking, and soon she was able to lie on her back. She began to breathe steady and the wrenching pain in her chest dissipated into an echo until it was gone, replaced by a relaxed beat of her heart.

"Kala, what have you gotten yourself into." She breathed out to the stars, waiting for the antidote to take the numbing off her lower extremities. She finally turned on her belly and, as expected, the man had already left. She checked her scan and found a new blip several meters away from her position. "This is going to be a busy night." Quickly, she activated her shadow mode and sped down the incline. She reached the well in minutes. Vela reviewed the recording and entered the codes accordingly on the selected bricks.

* * *

_/"Maahox has projects that Lotor is not privy to as of yet. One are these Haggarium plants he wishes to cultivate in various planets and Arus is one of them."/_

* * *

The well parted in half, affording a glimpse of a secret stairway below. She crouched on the top of the gloomy stairway, old instincts coming to the fore, wary of any secret security feature and whatever else they might throw at her in a moment's notice. Convinced her scans were giving her green across the board, she swiftly descended the stairs and darkness swallowed her. The well was a mute bystander again.

* * *

_/"Vela, it will fall on you to permanently terminate Maahox now."/_


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Since the music video link that inspired the story was looking all weird even when I tried using the html part, I moved the link to my profile page.

Same disclaimer found in the first chapter...

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Vela darted into the nearest dark corner when a sound echoed behind her. The blip on her scanner was a man following Zanir.

"Who's there?" Zanir had turned midway at the noise, but he was immediately subdued by a taller, stockier individual with knowledge of close-quarters fight training.

Zanir struggled fiercely and tried to scratch the attacker's face. There was an angry bellow from the attacker, followed by a sickening snap of a broken neck.

_"Zanir? Come in, Zanir." _A gravelly male voice filtered through Zanir's communicator. The boxy unit was on the ground, discarded during the brief struggle.

Vela observed the scene with passive eyes. There was no shortage in the body count working for the Drule Empire. Her training and subsequent profession had drilled away any feelings of compassion.

"Oh, be silent!" The attacker's voice was metallic in tone as if he was using a voice changer to disguise his real voice. The man kicked the destroyed communicator and soon silence reigned. He swiveled sharply, casting a suspicious glance at the empty dark corner where Vela stared back. The masked man peered at her as if she wasn't in shadow mode, giving her the chance to fully examine him. He was covered from head to foot with only his eyes visible. There were no markings or identifiable insignia on his clothing, which was a very plain black. She did see the rip in his mask, but the man had quickly turned away from her, realizing his identity could be uncovered if he didn't adjust his mask straight away. The man carried his misgivings while turning back to stare at that corner. His instincts warned him he wasn't alone, but there was no one else there. He stepped away from Zanir's lifeless prone body, thinking that whoever was here might make a move.

None came.

He was certain he was being watched, yet there were no cameras installed at the junction, which was why he had chosen this section for the ambush. He strode back to where he came, straining his ears for unwanted sounds. He pretended to stop on his way back but not even his ploy stirred any would-be witness. The man neared the foot of the stairway. On the wall, his finger traced the selected old runes. Under his touch, the runes glowed, activating the command to part the floor of the well at the center just above the staircase. When nothing else happened, he climbed the stairs and the mouth of the well slid to close again.

Disengaging her shadow mode, Vela became visible. She inspected the wall in earnest. The set of runes the man used was another sequence and she was thankful she had made a recording a few minutes ago in order to exit the tunnel later. She examined the rest of the wall. It was filled with pictoglyphs. Those she could easily discern were five lions and a giant robot towering over people depicted either with their arms up or drawn in mid-dancing around the robot. The images then showed the robot sailing through the star field but always returning to Arus. The next set of images held the wars - figures either lying on the ground or shielding each other futilely against blaster rays. Vela scrutinized an elaborately drawn battle on the next wall. These pictoglyphs covered a big portion with various scenes happening simultaneously. It caused her eyes to roam. She took a deep breath and concentrated on the middle figures and let them tell the story.

At the center Voltron was pictured going head to head with a Drule Robeast, one after another. There was an armada of Drule ships hanging in the background and blasting the planet's surface. By the lower section of the wall, foot soldiers tracked by the hundreds invaded homes, then out from these images several Drule soldiers towered over the rest. A quizzical frown crossed her face as she studied the representation closely. There were a handful of Drule soldiers etched taller with deep outlines, giving the impression that these Drule soldiers were more important than the rest.

"Of course," she realized. During a Drule occupation of a planet, one of the things they would later set up was a spy ring. She followed the images until she came to a set of pictoglyphs depicting again the heavily etched Drule soldiers but this time they were with a small ring of people. The Drule at the center of the ring had its arms out. Vela noticed the same stances in the next groups.

"So these Drule agents were the contact assigned to Arus," she muttered, sitting on her haunches, gazing back at the whole wall. This was the history of the spies on this planet. She swiveled her light to the last portion of the representation. Now, the Drule agents were depicted standing at the center of the ring with both arms up holding a big eye. The other groups were the same, and on the final image it showed the planet surrounded by those eyes.

"Now, what does that mean?" she mused and chose to take a recording of the whole wall for later study. Vela figured the man would still be waiting for her above ground when she completed the task and came to decision to settle in one corner. But before she could make herself comfortable, hurried footfalls echoed in the passageway. She hastily tabbed a control to re-engage her shadow mode.

The two men were flying up the stairs after they had activated the command on the runes. Vela followed them and stepped to the side when she neared the top. The two men wore identical hoods and wore face masks, too. She carefully started to give these men some distance.

"Whoever was the intruder, he's gone now." The man with a gravel voice told his co-conspirator when he had completed his scans, but there was something else he wanted to try. He reached into his jacket pocket.

"The cleaner never struck this close." The slighter framed man made a sweep of the surroundings with his searchlight. "He knew the ones in Lazar and now us." He was surprised to see his companion had taken out two marble-sized sensors from their nestled container.

"Bring your light over to the right, Havran, to where the slabs are."

The beam was stronger than an ordinary visorlight which gave the user a view at least 10 feet. The passage of the light fell squarely on Vela's face, heading to the direction of the broken slabs which were situated to the right of the well. She remained unconcerned and continued the slow retreat. Yet the light shining on her face hadn't moved and it made her apprehensive. With the help of her visor scope, her vision zoomed to see what the other man had in his hand. It looked like a tracking scanner. Still she wasn't worried. Even if it was tracking for heat signatures, the features of her field uniform would bounce a false reading back to the receiving unit. Vela increased her audio pick up.

_"Nothing on the scanner but I feel there's someone out here."_

Vela tensed. She couldn't make any hasty movements on loose gravel; they would immediately know her position. Both men had jumped down and were advancing to her hiding spot. It was unnerving as she observed the men. They were as stealthy as she was. No lose stones crunched under their boots, which meant they had training. Vela knew she could easily dispatch them, but she needed the men alive to lead her to the Drule contact assigned in this sector and gather whatever else was in Maahox's grand scheme of things after Kala's demise.

_"Havran, switch off the light now."_

Havran did as he was told, plunging the area into darkness. The moon had hidden behind dark clouds. Automatically, Vela's visor switched to night vision and the tableau changed to a harsh, eerie, green color before her eyes. She had been inching further away just as the men were advancing toward her.

She read their postures.

They were ready for a fight.

"I know you're out here, Cleaner. I can feel you."

"Fellin, if this is indeed the Cleaner, we need to leave." Havran tried to persuade his colleague.

"Afraid to face us?" Fellin, the gravelly voiced man, flicked his wrist and two small devices launched in midair toward Vela's position.

Vela carefully inched backward just as a warning flashed across her visor. The two devices were trying to decloak her system but were fried even before it managed to analyze her systems. She needed to get out of here before *her* identity was revealed. With all the loose stones and gravel, it would be easy for the men to detect and catch her, but it was chance she had to take.

"Neutralizing my own tracers tells me you're definitely NOT from around here."

In devilish synchronicity, Fellin and Havran charged to where the intruder would be. Vela timed her sprint. She reached the nearest slab, and since it was leaning at an angle that enabled her to launch herself back at the men still coming towards her, she delivered a whipping kick to each of their faces. The painful contact elicited angry outbursts from the men as they both fell to the ground, both gasping to clear their vision from the sudden, if invisible, blows.

Vela, now perched on top of the broken wall, observed the men on the ground as a new voice cut through the darkness.

"Fellin, Havran! Did you find him?" Another hooded head popped through the well. He leaped down and shined his light at the groaning men still on the ground, clutching their heads from the pain.

"We'll deal with the Cleaner, later. We have Zanir's body to take care of." He helped them up and both men staggered back to the secret well.

Vela leaped down from her temporary perch and resumed her trek back to town. Tonight was a fruitful surveillance. She could use the information during her deep cover mission back at the constabulary.

She checked her chronometer. The neighborhood would soon wake up in five hours. She needed to get home quick.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: What happened so far...Vela acting on Kala's request resurfaced from whereabouts unknown and built an identity while in Arus. Two mysterious open case files for the constabulary people to solve and while on a routine recon mission, Vela witnessed an ambush in the secret tunnel. This was also her first look of the "The Cleaner."

All disclaimers found in Chapter One.

On with the story...

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

A scream tore the early morning air when Farmer Kellan's wife found a body on a ditch at the edge of their grey corn plantation. From a distance, three men on backs of their beasts of burden known as Stinging Howlers, came to full stop before the ditch. The Howlers as Kellan called them were as big but leaner than Earth's polar bears. He jumped down from his mount as was at his wife's side in no time.

"It's Zanir," she trembled like a leaf inside her husband's embrace when he had reached her. "Who could have done this?" Kellan quickly pulled her away from the horrific sight.

"We'll let Chief Andros deal with this." He signaled one of his farmhands to contact the constabulary. Kellan directed his wife to sit with him at a nearby bench under a tree while they waited for the chief constable to arrive.

* * *

Elsewhere, inside a bedroom, a body uncoiled from the bed sheets, still refusing to acknowledge the incoming video call. The body continued to squirm and sought refuge under the mountain of pillows. The chime persisted that a hand slipped under the pillows holding out a compact blaster gun aimed straight at the communication wall console across the room. The beep ended as if sensing the presence of the threatening weapon.

Peace flowed once again in the threshold. The weapon withdrew and a soft sigh muffled by pillows and sheets signaled a contented sleeper. The bedroom was furnished with several off-world ornaments. There were three Drule knickknacks in cartoonish poses bought from Planet Agalian now losing their garish expressions against the morning light. Sweeping forward, a mirror cradled between wooden hands and in front of the mirror was a table, were more fine handcrafted knickknacks stood, ranging from bird creatures to miniaturize alien plants, and strange gelatin pebbles.

The incessant chime returned, nudging Vela to wakefulness still dressed in her spy gear. "Audio only."

"_Trell?"_

"Good morning, Chief. I'm actually on my way." She jumped out of bed to start her morning routine.

"_Good morning. You're usually the first one to clock in and last to clock out, Jazia."_

"Sorry, Chief… I… overslept." She reached inside her closet blindly and took out one of her Drule outfits instead. She stumbled and hastily went back to grab her constable station uniform.

"_I'm heading out to Kellan's farm. We have another dead body."_

"Got it, Chief." She snapped the final button of her constable uniform and peered at her reflection. She could easily pass as a Terran or even an Arusian if not for her Drule eye color, red amber. She carefully inserted the hazel-colored contact lenses and blinked. Satisfied with her disguise, she grabbed her bag and left for the constabulary.

* * *

A couple of hours since their arrival, Chief Andros had the body loaded up to the landspeeder after he was satisfied he had gathered all the pertinent details from Kellan, his wife, the two farmhands and from Kellan's nearest neighbor. The officers soon headed back to the town.

"Sir, there were signs the fence was cut along the north section boundary," said Deputy Eli Parr. He logged his findings on the computer that was also linked to the station's database. He highlighted the map, marking the area.

"Yet, Kellan said all his fences were intact last night. Did we get any signs of discharge? This material Kellan used for his fences are high grade and not easily cut by a sonic pliers." Andros magnified the end of the piece of line in the monitor.

The tiny pebble-like crystals sprinkled across Eli's cheeks shimmered, reflecting his disappointment. "It was all degraded and, Chief, this was what the medscanner projected as the time of expiration."

"Five hours ago." He lurched gently in his seat as if landspeeder's engine swallowed a couple of dust balls before resuming its course.

At Eli's prompt, waiting for the computer to process his query, he continued, "There wasn't even a leaky oil trail that might lead us to where the culprit went after the body dump." The computer flashed ground pictures which Wyx had scanned earlier.

Another prompt from the computer gave a negative beep when no matches were found.

"Radlan said he didn't see any vehicles coming up his way," he added. "There wasn't anything suspicious from the past week, not since seeing some offworlders hanging around their area two months ago because of Kellan's Howlers."

"You and Jaryl took care of that." Andros carried a pensive frown as he searched for possible connections of the two events.

"That's right, and no other incidents around the area until this one."

From the pilot area, the chief's grandson, Deputy Wyx Andros, said, "If the guilty party used a landspeeder equipped with stealth mode, it wouldn't be a problem."

"I'll check vehicle registry," Eli said. His fingers danced across his console. He was being optimistic and tried to quell the sinking feeling that nothing official will turn up in the registry.

Arus had been building its intergalactic ship registry databases and its sub-directories for vehicles-for-hire for a couple of years now but it hadn't been easy for the staff in-charge. Eli might not even get an answer to his query. It had taken a lot of imagination to track clues left by marauders, bandits, and any sort of scoundrels engaged in animal black market industry, and it seemed this latest development will require the same type of perseverance. He wasn't going to start giving up.

"It doesn't make sense to dump Zanir's body at Kellan's doorstep than leaving the body somewhere in the canyons to be forgotten." Wyx from the pilot cabin, echoed the same thoughts Eli was thinking.

"We might have a witness." Andros wondered why the witness didn't call the constabulary rather than moving the body in the first place. There were times he wished they had the technology of the Galaxy Alliance at his disposal but he will have to make do with what they had at present.

* * *

Somewhere in another part of the residential section, Havran was in the middle of assisting Fellin in covering his landspeeder under the tarp just as Geldril Ifin came rushing into the garage.

"What possessed you to dump Zanir's body at Kellan's field?" He bellowed in anger, glaring at the two dumbfounded men as the garage door automatically closed behind him.

Fellin grabbed the arm of the other man. "Keep your voice down." He pressed a button on the wall to activate a dampening field to prevent anyone from listening in.

"We did leave him at the canyons!" Havran replied, now seated at the monitoring station Fellin had set up at the corner of the garage. The two men crowded behind the slighter framed man. His fingers flew across the console, bringing up the program that would enable them to listen to the constabulary's communication transmissions. He handed each an earpiece.

"_What the Kellans said was true, sir."_The verification came from Jaryl Marthos, one of the deputies stationed at the constabulary. "_He has a jewelry shop in town called Arus Eyes and has no known relatives. We do have an open report in our database about his daughter who went missing three months ago. According to Zanir, she had called him saying that she was on the road, heading home. The vehicle was untouched and no signs of attack were found."_

"Apparently, the Cleaner followed you and found where you've dumped Zanir's body and he brought him to the first plantation farm he could find." Geldril had lost all interest listening to the preliminaries. "I've never known the two of you to be this careless!"

"We're not!" Fellin stabbed a finger at Geldrin's chest. He wasn't going down for this. "When Winter and Gran were neutralized several weeks apart, you turned a blind eye! Maybe it was you all along." He narrowly evaded a punch. Soon, the two men evenly matched in heavyweight class and skills were exchanging kicks and punches. It would have gone further if it wasn't for a stun blast, sending the two men to the floor. Geldrin and Fellin both glared daggers at Havran.

"It was only a minimum setting which both of you have developed resistance to," he told them nonchalantly before returning to his seat. He worked on his console and brought up the Cleaner's timeline. It filled the screen, and the two men grudgingly nodded a truce.

"You stunned me," Fellin grumbled.

"You two weren't showing signs of stopping so I had to do something before I wasted half of my day watching you two let off steam!"

"So what's this?" Geldrin nodded at the big question mark on a man's empty profile picture on the screen. He winced as if he pulled a back muscle, no doubt sore from the stun ray.

"This Cleaner could be a spy," Havran had been pondering about the Cleaner's past actions for several weeks now while he added a colored dot on the timeline posted on the screen.

"Rogue Drule DI agent?" Fellin studied the timeline.

The Drule DI agents were the ones they answer to, and they had been given enough leeway to do their thing as long as it doesn't disrupt Maahox's operation schedule. Geldrin shook his head. "I think this man was an ex-soldier for hire if so, his backer could be anyone against the Drules."

"And you forget, Fellin," Havran added, sending coded electronic missives to the other spies. "Geldrin was with us when Zanir was killed."

* * *

"You'll burn a hole on that cold case file sooner than later." Deputy Jaryl Marthos, an amiable young man with a ready smile, ambled back through the bullpen when he had concluded his transmission to the Chief and the rest of their field team. He glanced at the central monitor.

On screen was the topographic map of Lazar and their town. There were two pulsing blue dots denoting the two unresolved cases from Lazar then a glowing yellow dot by the Whistler's Pass which signified Frelyn, Zanir's daughter, last location.

Jazia Trell, the recent addition to the constabulary force, had been assigned to this cold case to earn her stripes and whatever information or theories she came up with, she was to notify her senior partner, Deputy Marsh Nevs, who had cases to close such as the Gran Soren and Winter Ashburn files.

She finally decided to add on her map two new yellow dots for Gran and Winter respectively to see if some pattern would present itself. "Something in Lazar started all these." She muttered, peering at the screen.

"You're noticing her too often, Jaryl." Deputy Marsh Nevs commented acidly from his workstation with his back at the two officers. He was slouching and poring over some files in front of him but it didn't prevent Marsh from listening to anyone in the room.

Jaryl shot a puzzled glance and mouthed, "What's got into him?"

"What else is there?" Jazia whispered, pointing at the other monitor showing the missing persons list. There on the top of the list with a black star beside a name, Naria Nevs, the deputy's wife. Marsh couldn't bring himself to remove his wife's name after he had finally found a break in her case.

"Just hear me out," Jazia lowered her voice so as not to disturb the older officer. "You mentioned to the Chief that Frelyn went missing on her way back home from Lazar Province."

"That's correct."

"This was what I've gotten so far." She overlaid the timeline over the topographic map with the glowing dots. "Two attacks started three months ago in Lazar. Other neighboring towns reported nothing unusual in their own jurisdiction. Frelyn goes missing two days after the last victim in Lazar. Then, Gran Soren was found dead four weeks ago while Winter Ashburn's body was found two weeks later, and now Zanir will just have to be the unfortunate."

"Those two attacks from Lazar couldn't be related to Frelyn and Zanir but we do need to rule those out first." Jaryl was trying to see where she was going with this theory as he saw she included Zanir now on her map.

"The perpetrator seems to traveling, though it looks like Frelyn is the odd piece in this puzzle or could be the break we need. Maybe I can join Eli when he leaves for Lazar." Her gaze drifting to the missing person list set on the opposite wall. "I can't help feeling as if something is staring at me in the face, but I can't place what it is."

Jaryl looked over her timeline again. "You may have something here I think the Chief would like to hear." He patted the young woman's shoulder. "Sometimes, it's hard to believe you've only with us for four months, and you're handling this as if you've had years under your belt. This is definitely your calling."

She froze inconspicuously at his observation. Jazia pretended to be elated in receiving his encouragement. "Thanks."

As Jazia watched Jaryl leave the bullpen, she caught Marsh hurtling a suspicious look her way. Hoping to cover her false zealousness," she said, "What do you think, Deputy? Do you also suppose whoever was behind this could have been after Zanir all along?"

Marsh didn't answer immediately, but she didn't imagine the dangerous glint in his eyes before swiveling back to face his computer screen. There was also something unexpected she saw on his face. Those welts on his cheek were the same spot where Zanir had clawed his assailant last night. She sized up him in a flash and noted his body frame was similar to the attacker in the tunnel.

"Leaving bodies to cover his real agenda?" She spun in her heel as she sat at the edge of her workstation. She kept her arms loose should she need to neutralize a stockier and heavyset man. "It sounds too extreme," he leveled her with a measured gaze.

Jazia held Marsh's stare with ease and regarded the older man with curiosity, in how silent he had come up from behind her. She recalled from his file that he was trained under Galaxy Alliance, a skill set not easily diminished by the years. Nevertheless, she schooled her expression to a calm veneer. The other man appeared to be trying to keep his anger down. It perplexed her why this assignment was needling him today.

"I think its worth following up on, Deputy. The cases could be related in some way," she answered just as her attention was shifted to the Chief's visitors. Councilor Magan, Princess Allura, Commander Keith Kogane and Larmina had arrived and were following the constable chief for the scheduled close-door meeting.

The other constable officers who came with the Chief had returned to their respective workstations to process the evidences they had collected from Kellan's field.

"And you want to join Eli to Lazar?" Marsh was trying to figure out if she knew more about the cases than she was letting on.

"That's the plan," she replied a little too brightly. There were at least three discernible scratch marks on Marsh's heavily lined visage. Jazia glossed over any indication she had noticed them.

"Be careful out there."

She nodded before reclaiming her seat. Thoughts churned on her delicate situation. She was in deep cover for Kala, and the persona she decided to use had gained her enough freedom to move around town. She hadn't expected to be solving a case so soon in her undercover mission.

She settled back in her seat after sending the report. She can't deny she enjoyed this distraction—that much she can say. She hadn't been active with the Drule Empire after she had come across her mother's termination file years ago. She had vowed to severe all links with this accursed empire, but Kala managed to track her down, which shocked her to the bones. She thought she had destroyed every link tying her to the Drule Intelligence, and to further her grim surprise, four other registered signals had also traced Kala's signal. Her old team was also out there, searching for her. Perhaps if she completed this operation ahead of schedule, the other four won't come knocking at her door too soon. She could disappear on the next home world and assume another identity. A smile of anticipation crept on her face. She couldn't wait to conclude this investigation, and contemplated how she can direct Zanir's case to one of their deputies. She needed proof to tie Marsh and hopefully, the evidence under Zanir's fingernails will provide the opening.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

"Did Zanir have any work contacts in Lazar?" Keith asked once Chief Andros ended his report an hour later.

"Yes, he had several, and we've reopened Frelyn's case. Whoever was behind her disappearance could also be connected to Zanir." He had already skimmed through Jazia's report, reaching the same line of thought as the young officer mentioned in her report. "We're in contact with Lazar constabulary. They're leading the inquiries to two inns where Frelyn last stayed," Andros added, putting down Jazia's report.

"I mean no disrespect to your efforts or your officers, Chief Andros," Councilor Magan stated. "But so much time has elapsed since she went missing, she might not—" he let the words trail off.

Larmina, a Voltron force cadet and member of the royal family was observing the meeting from her seat beside her aunt. She glanced around the table of serious faces. She felt sad for Frelyn and breathed a prayer for her.

"I can only hope, Councilor, that she's alive." Andros said and pushed his own misgivings at the back of his mind.

"What will be your next course of action?" Allura asked. She wanted to know the proper steps had been initiated.

"Two of my deputies will depart for Lazar this afternoon to retrace Frelyn's route after they've interviewed Zanir's assistant again at his store later in the day, Princess." Andros answered.

"They may," Councillor Magan began, "perhaps find an old schedule book that was overlooked from the previous investigation."

Andros agreed. "I also have my officers review Gran Soren's and Winter Ashburn's cases. There could be a connection with the men that was missed from the first sweep."

"It's a good start," Allura said. She caught a glimpse of an officer passing one file to a woman and to Marsh before disappearing from her view. She watched the officers through the transparent glass wall panels that separated the chief's office and the bullpen. "I didn't expect it to be a—"

"Small force?" Andros answered. "We are still repairing our lives." His tone was grandfatherly as if he was speaking to his younger grandchildren.

"Most of the families were broken from the wars. We may have found relative peace over the course of eight years, but it wasn't easy. Many are still afraid to let loved ones join anything that was close to a military." Andros raised his hand, waving the councilor to silence.

"Believe me; I know the constabulary is not," he paused. "My grandson, Wyx," he nodded at the young man seen entering the bullpen. "His mother doesn't want him applying for the Galaxy Alliance Flight Academy that would take him away from Arus; it took a while for Wyx to convince his mother to join me here. She only relented when Wyx promised that he wouldn't try out for the flight academy." He turned to the councilor. "You can give it another year or so, Councilor. I am sure the young people will come around too."

"Everyone still needs to feel safe and secure." Allura strode toward the partitioned glass panel, observing the young woman officer a couple years her junior, swiveling back to her workstation. "The people need Voltron to be an ever-present force of protection and a source of hope that good will prevail."

"Voltron will always be where it's needed, your Royal Highness, and the team won't stop fighting whatever Castle Doom throws at us." Keith decided against mentioning Sky Marshall Wade to the group today. That was a Voltron Force concern.

Allura nodded and took heart in hearing the reassuring words. "Chief Andros, who is that young woman?" Her gaze lighted from one officer to another. Over the years, she had taken steps to get acquainted with everyone at the station, but she hadn't seen this woman before.

"Jazia Trell came from one of our distant provinces, Oliyar. She's been with us for four months now." He tried not to look embarrassed for the next words he was going to say, and appreciated the visit, but he needed to get back to work. "If you have more concerns, Princess, Commander, Councilor?"

The other two men shook their heads. Allura smiled apologetically for taking more of the chief's time. "Please keep me informed if you have found Zanir's daughter and if you have the perpetrators to the three deaths in your custody."

"I will send my report to Castle Control and Councilor Magan once the cases have been solved," Andros promised and walked with everyone out of the office.

Deputy Marsh Nevs, a stocky man with pepper grey hair—cut in military style—glanced up from his workstation when Allura approached him. "Your Highness," he quickly stood and bowed. He shook hands with the princess and did his best to cover the pain of betrayal from reaching his eyes.

"I know it has been three months since you've concluded your wife's search," she tried to keep the sadness out of her voice, yet as she spoke, her thoughts turned to Keith and what it would have been like if he was lost to her. "Aside from Frelyn, have you had new developments on others that went missing from the wars?" Those first two years when Keith had gone dark to avoid detection as he searched for Black Lion had been terrifying.

Wade had stepped up his efforts in capturing Keith by hiring rogue agents through under-the-table agreements. The Den had been in communications blackout too, and she only had Coran, Romelle, and Sven to air her concerns, which prompted Romelle to make frequent trips whenever she could.

Allura had reached out countless times through the link for Keith's responses, but it had been silent—even though she knew he was still there on the other end as a steady, silent dot. Keith somehow had managed to mute his side of the link from her. It had been the first time she experienced the link going dormant. She knew great distances didn't affect their connection; she could hear Keith calling her when she had been kidnapped by Hagar, and then on several other occasions by other Drule allies and by Lotor through the intervening years before the he had finally been defeated. An involuntary shiver came over her as she recalled those incidents.

The bond quavered, snapping her out from her inner musings. She felt her heart doused with love, and out from the corner of her eye, Keith stepped in her line of sight, giving the briefest of nods.

Marsh's gaze danced between the princess and the Voltron commander. There was an unspoken connection between the two which appeared subtle except for the keen observer. He took a deep breath. "Only that I've finally laid my wife's case to rest. I would have wanted her remains recovered and buried here but it was proving too difficult locating her body since she had already died years ago, leaving a child in one of the Drule-occupied worlds."

Jazia slowly turned away from reading a file as she listened to Marsh's revelation and glimpsed to her left. Larmina had stepped away from the studying the posted information on the central monitor, which still had the topography map and the timeline. She was equally stunned at hearing the deputy's tale and made her way to where the missing persons list was posted. There were so many names.

"I've asked a good friend of mine, and he carries the same list," Marsh's face was wrought with the pain he had kept. "He came across a repository station in one of the abandoned homeworlds, bearing a Drule emblem." The older deputy officer glanced around the bullpen. Every head had turned to him, listening in sympathetic silence.

"After running through a rudimentary language translator, he had found out that Naria and two other Arusian names have been grouped together. He's now following on leads for the two other Arusians." He wiped an errant tear that had slid down his cheek.

Jazia felt Marsh's vulnerability and everyone's silent compunction at his loss. This very time, she was indeed an outsider looking in at the small assembly in the bullpen. Even the Chief was standing close by his office entranceway, glancing every now and then at the deputy, afraid the man might have a coronary.

Marsh cleared his throat, continuing his heartbreak. "When he came to Naria's file, he was able to salvage some old entries concerning my wife's imprisonment, consequent barter and—termination."

The atmosphere inside the constabulary stilled. No one moved in their places out of respect for the other man who clearly has not grieved properly. Only the peripheral sounds of the building whispered into the room, letting everyone know that beyond this circle, life continued, but to Marsh, those sounds no longer held his attention.

"My wife," he found his voice and picked up the story. "Was taken as a slave by a Drule overlord and later bore that Drule a child." His shoulders slumped as he took his seat. He didn't understand why he was telling everyone this now. He gazed back at the princess. He could feel her kindness and compassionate presence reaching out to him, to unburden his grief to her. He shook his head. He had to keep it together.

Allura clamped down her shock. This was the side of war she knew Coran was still shielding her from.

"Nevertheless," Marsh pointed at the list on the holo-board. "We'll continue the search for them."

Jazia lowered her gaze. She had heard those stories about the Lost Children, growing up. Few survived the heritage of the union since most of them they died at an early age due to the incompatibility of alien and Drule physiologies. All she had from her mother was a necklace given to her when she was six years old just before she was sent to work for an off-world occult scientist. Jazia knew that was the last time she was ever going to see her mother's warm brown eyes again. She caressed the pendant in her hand, and lost in her own memories.

Keith, who had been reading the names found a familiar name on the list. "One of the missing is a relative yours?"

"Ladrel Andros," Wyx nodded from his workstation. "My father."

"If there's anything the Voltron team can do to help," Allura offered.

Marsh nodded, his hand balling into a fist at his side. "We will contact Castle Control as soon as possible." He politely bowed again and walked stiffly out of the room. He needed some air to clear his head.

Allura watched the older man striding out of the room; he gave Councilor Magan a curt nod as he went by. The councilor was conversing with one of the deputies; no doubt his informal way of checking up the officers.

She could only imagine the pain Marsh had held on to for so long. She was surprised the older officer was able to function properly in his job.

"I don't think I'd be able to keep it together if I was in his position," Keith remarked quietly beside Allura. They moved to Jazia Trell's workstation. Allura nodded in agreement, letting the bond coil infusing it with enough gratitude that he was on the other end, receiving her feelings.

Allura extended her hand to the young woman. "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you since your move here four months ago," she said in a quiet tone. She was still affected by Marsh's tragic tale.

Jazia appeared to be flustered, though as she hastily stood and tried her best not to fall over. The spell of walking down her memory lane had annoyed her but kept the emotion from reaching her eyes.

"Your Royal Highness. Thank you," she said in a rush, causing Wyx to swallow his guffaws, sounding all weird in the background. Then she added in a somber tone, "This was the first time Marsh revealed to us the other details regarding his wife's passing."

Allura took it in. "I will do whatever I can in my power to bring home the missing," her gaze then fell on Jazia's pendant. "That's a lovely necklace," she said. She thought she recognized it from somewhere, but she couldn't place where she had seen it. "I seldom have seen a family crest fashioned as a necklace." There was tiny frown on Allura's face, still trying to recall its familiarity but the memory was too fleeting.

If Jazia paled at the snippet of information, the junior officer didn't show it and watched in her confounded silence as the small entourage file out of the constabulary. She held the necklace again. She hadn't realized it was a crest. The swirling pattern at the center was connected to three smaller downward swirling lines and was enclosed inside a ring. She had thought it was one of the Drule overlord's ludicrous efforts to ridicule her mother. The necklace couldn't have been Arusian, as the princess believed —could it? The troubling thought reverberated deep in her mind but the notion was immediately squashed. That Drule overlord must have had countless slaves originating from Arus, and on a whim he liked to buy gifts for her mother. There were moments that she was grateful to have inherited her mother's outward physical appearance, but it only made her miss her more.

Dismissing another old childhood memory before it derailed her concentration completely, she eyed the blinking anomaly found embedded in the communication routing pattern she was now examining on her screen. The spies were listening in to the communication transmissions. She mulled the thought over as she hid any trace of data transfer she was performing. When it was complete, she tucked the personal tablet inside her bag. Bringing up the main menu of the systems, she began widening her search on the constabulary systems.

The program she had uploaded to the station's system four months ago had paid off when another result flashed at the bottom of her screen, informing her of another program running alongside the constabulary video feed now. She leaned back as a small smile crossed her lips. "Someone's getting apprehensive."

She covertly began her attempt to trace the video program's origins. She was hoping no one else was trawling along the central system too because it will tip them that she has been sniffing in areas her junior officer security clearance shouldn't have any access to.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Wish FF would permit other fonts. *sighs*

* * *

Chapter Five

Once Councilor Magan concluded his conversation with Princess Allura, the Voltron Force trio slowly made their way to the town's central fountain. A block away and maintaining a discreet distant from the trio, was Deputy Marsh Nevs.

"How could the princess and her commander be allowed to keep their love?" He grumbled, glaring at the golden couple ahead of him. He ducked behind a tree when he saw the Voltron commander making an unobtrusive visual sweep of the surroundings. "Ever vigilant," he muttered,observing the commander turn his attention back to the princess.

Allura knew the park was undergoing a renovation, and she wanted to see its progress. There were beautiful topiaries in one corner and an already busy sandbox area several yards away from the topiaries under a big tree where giggling children were building forts or mountains, depending on one's imagination. She smiled that these children had the opportunity to play unlike her own growing years. She breathed in deeply as the scent of lavender wafted through the park. It was perfect.

She had learned about the town's upcoming celebration a few days ago to mark Voltron's return to Arus. She was happy the preparation for the festivities was shaping up and her people were engaged in installing festive banners along the sidewalks and respective trade shops.

There were also mobile food kiosks standing in their assigned spots around the park, awaiting owners to prepare their wares. The town festival was scheduled for this weekend, and she was looking forward to spending the day with Keith, now that he was home. She sent him a blissful mental picture through the bond and tried to cover her giggle when he responded equally elated at the prospect of having a day off.

The trio resumed their easy stroll and was met by parents and other young people to shake their hands, telling them how grateful they were on this long road of rebuilding their lives since they put the wars behind them. The princess acknowledged their good wishes. Allura was always thankful for the five men who answered Arus's call many years ago.

"I hope I'm not boring you two," she said. She had noticed Keith's relaxed bearing since they left the constabulary, and she grinned when the last batch of children finally gave them some breathing space as they neared the construction of a statue at the middle of the plaza. The statue was covered up as a protection against the weather elements and from prying eyes. No one knew the identities and it seemed the construction people were given strict orders by Councilor Magan not to divulge either.

As far as she can recall, not even Coran's missives told her who will be honored at this weekend festivities. She surmised from the length of the covering over the statue or statues that there were at least three figures, ruling out the Voltron team -although it would be great to have them honored that way. It was going to be one of her future projects.

"Not at all," she heard Keith reply as he watched the construction near the bigger statue.

"It looks like we never stopped rebuilding." She bit her lip, realizing too late she had blurted out a frustrated thought that had been at the back of her mind. She did remain strong for her people and wore a brave face whenever needed but during these unguarded moments, she would make a slip. It has astounded her at times how Keith and the others could remain so battle-ready for all these years.

_We were trained for this, Allura._ A thought seeped into her mind as her heart quickened.

_Keith?_ Her mind whispered back as she slowly turned and saw Keith chatting with the construction supervisor but didn't appear to have heard her.

She was in the middle of mulling over the occurrence when she felt the bond pulse as Keith's assurance wrapped her worried heart and mind with genuine comfort. She let a small grin grace her countenance, aware his elbow had touched hers. The foreman had already gone back to overseeing the statues' construction.

"I never meant to sound unappreciative for all your efforts over the years, Keith." She bathed his name with tenderness, permitting him to drive out her feelings of remembered hopeless tension through the connection they shared. It was an emotion he was surprised she still carried even if it was only remnants from her childhood life. It still haunted her to this day.

Keith also perceived something else through the bond that he hasn't felt before from Allura—stark emptiness weaving in and out through the link. He was unsettled by it and later took a mental note filed under future conversations when they were alone. He also came to recognize the bond was in constant flow whenever he afforded his attention to things he cared for so much. It was energetic and playful, never ebbing. He had been sure his adjustment to its spirited dance would once again become second nature to him after his arrival, but he had been caught unprepared by the weight of Allura's emotions, which she didn't bother to keep in restraint.

He hadn't known his own relentless determination had become an unintentionally shield when he had left to retrieve Black. So when he was finally home, he sought refuge behind that shield and slowly began shelving old thoughts, old emotions in the recesses of his mind then letting the barrier fall away until there was nothing separating him from her. He heard himself say that it was over. He was able to overcome those first tumultuous two years and the subsequent time he had spent away was no longer an issue to him and hopefully, for Allura too. What was important to him was his heart has found the one person keeping him from going over the brink.

"It's all right, Allura." Keith fixed a look solely for her, shining his love through his eyes while the link thrummed with the same affection. "As long as Voltron is able, hope remains." He pointed at one of the GA marked storage units. "And since you've acquired Galaxy Alliance drones for the town as a defense against Doom's foot soldiers, then maybe the destruction won't be too widespread, and no more of your people will be captured to become slaves."

Allura brightened at the praise. "The constabulary does need several more landspeeders in the future if Chief Andros expects applicants next year." She nodded absently as a plan formed in her mind. "I'll discuss this with Coran. We could work out possible trade business with allied planets in the future."

Larmina took another furtive glance at her aunt and the commander. She had consciously put some distance between her and them when she felt she was intruding. She couldn't help speculating what passed between their gazes. She sighed dreamily at them and shook herself. She has been thankful her aunt came out strong from her battle experiences. Sensing now that she was no longer interrupting what was likely a personal moment for the two, she said, "We should be the one investigating those cases; then we'll be able to get things done in no time."

"We would have spread our team too thin," the princess reasoned. "Being a good leader, you will have to make decisions to appoint people who you think will get order done. I was present when Coran and Councilor Magan appointed Chief Andros. He is a dedicated man."

"I guess you're right," she conceded in a halfhearted manner. Larmina found it hard to let others to do a job she knew they could handle more effectively, but she'll just have to wait and see how these town cases will be wrapped up.

"Let's head back to the castle," Keith suggested, and Allura agreed. She had done what she had set out to do this morning and until Chief Andros and his deputies find anything more, she will leave the investigation to their capable hands.

Once they had settled inside the landspeeder, Keith gunned the engine. He maneuvered the vehicle out from the parking lot, and the trio was on their way back to the Castle of Lions.

* * *

Marsh punched the side of the tree, not minding the cut and the pinching sensation in his knuckles he felt afterwards. He flexed his bruised hand as his gaze followed the Voltron Force vehicle, zooming away.

He abhorred this feeling of betrayal. He hated the pain that was leisurely engulfing him alive. He needed to do something that will keep it quiet, and he concluded the princess had indeed failed him. He hated why he had to lose the love of his life.

As Marsh was leaving the plaza, he spotted Eli and Wyx from across the street. The two men were heading toward Zanir's shop,Arus Eyes. He thought about Zanir.

It had annoyed Marsh having to leave Zanir's body at Kellan's property, but it was better than the canyons where the two spies had originally left it. Nobody was going to find the body since it was less traveled these days. His fingers gingerly traced the scratches on his cheek. It was going to be a matter of hours before Jaryl informed their chief about his findings.

He began removing his insignia off his uniform, signifying his constabulary designation, symbols of his office, and position. He examined those symbols in his hand. He had held these symbols with great respect over the years and now, their meaning fell pale against the bleakness of pain. He wasn't even entertaining the idea of finding his wife's hybrid child. He had no idea if he would ever change his mind. His friend had asked him about it but he had no answer.

Soon, he let the objects of his office fall to the ground. The items dropped noiselessly on the grass, discarded, all glinting against the late morning sun.

He trudged up the soft incline that soon connected to the paved road. He then took out his data pad and tabbed a command to activate a timer that will automatically send his updates on Winter and Gran's cases and perhaps his confession to Eli Parr's electronic account. No doubt the young man will be puzzled with the volume of e-mails in his inbox. When he had completed the task, he left the tablet on the bench. He couldn't function anymore unlike before when he still had hope. He didn't have the willpower to pursue the other names on the missing persons list. Someone from the constabulary will have to do that now. All he wanted was to cleanse his home from anyone connected with the Drules. He was tired of keeping up a strong face, and he was more interested with only one list now.

He stared at the sky and took a deep breath, keenly aware of the crushing burden in his mind. Perhaps by this hour, the de-coding program will be able to give him the last three names of the spies in town. He decided to take the long stroll toward his home since the physical activity always calmed him. Nevertheless, he couldn't keep the dam up any longer. "Something will have to give at some point. Naria, my love, wait for me," he whispered.

* * *

"Zanir's body is now in the constabulary," Geldrin spoke to his communicator while he removed all the essential computer hard drives and handed them over to Fellin. The other man began placing the drives into portable shockproof cases. Geldrin strode to the consoles and initiated the command to wipe out of the all of the computer's supplemental drives and the contents of the memory core. "The evidence of the Cleaner is on him."

"And us," Fellin added from the back of the room.

Geldrin pushed out an angry thought to the periphery and focused on the progress bar on the monitor. The memory wipe was still 20% and rising.

"_Even if I try to change their findings, they'll find out it was tampered wit_h_**,**__" _Havran pointed out. "_At least getting into their video feed, we'll know where they're headed in the investigation." _

"I understand. Once we've dealt with the Cleaner," Geldrin thought aloud, "we'll re-group but maintain radio silence with the others. Our next status update won't be for another three months, which by that time, we'll have returned to our usual operations." The progress bar rose to 45%.

"_So, we'll meet the Cleaner head on?"_

"He may be an ex-GA soldier; it should be nothing for us." Geldrin was assured that they'd be able to neutralize the spy hunter with three of them. "What else do have we take care of before we sign off?" His impatience started to show when he caught himself tapping his foot. The progress line has passed the 85% mark.

"_With the festival scheduled for this weekend, the package will be handled together with one of Moonstone's best product lines. The whole thing is low key but we should expect the delivery right on time and should not miss it."_

Geldrin agreed just as he heard the last latch snap in place. Fellin had stowed the final shockproof case on his small anti-grav cart and was waiting for Geldrin to finish the communication. Geldrin glanced back at the monitor and was rewarded when the word COMPLETED flashed before his eyes.

"Good. Keep track on the constabulary's investigations. Fellin and I will be dropping off the drives to our auxiliary site."

* * *

Back in the constabulary, the laboratory area was at the far end of the station. Deputy Jaryl Marthos and Rowan, his assistant, took up residence here. Once in a while, Jaryl would accompany any of the deputies on field too whenever they would get short-handed. Today, though, he was in his usual element and his subject waited for him at the middle of the room. The hum of the recyclers greeted him with a monotonous 'hello' as he strode toward the exam table.

The lab room wasn't the stark, windowless drab environment everyone thought it was. There were five windows affording them a view of street and the people's comings and goings, but no one could look in. There was a protective screen layered in between the glass panes, preventing the afternoon sunlight to pass through thus offsetting the cool temperature of the room. His gaze drifted to the corner table; Rowan's sister must have visited their laboratory when he was out—there was a new potted plant sitting there now. The last plant had wilted because he and Rowan had forgotten to water it regularly. He and his assistant will have to work out a simple housekeeping schedule so as not to incur the wrath of Rowan's sister again.

"Now, Zanir," Jaryl stopped beside the table, donning his lab suit, "you don't have to wait anymore. I'm hoping you'll be able to give me something for the Chief today." He took a pair of sterile gloves and gave a nod to Rowan to begin the recording.

Jaryl activated the overhead scanner where the arm extended from its dock to slowly sweep the body starting from the head for trace evidence.

The process would usually take a couple of hours, but it had been Jaryl's routine now to be on hand should an incident similar to the "Altered" happened again. He wasn't going to take chances. He started cataloguing the preliminary finds.

"Three kinds of soil deposit found," Rowan had noted on his screen. The lanky lab technician started cross-checking for samples stored in their databases. Three beeps came from the computer.

"That was fast." Jaryl looked from his tablet to the scanner's round head inching down to Zanir's neck. He had seen the bruise marks, and with the scanner's help, confirmed that Zanir's windpipe had been crushed.

"Three different samples identified: Kellan's property, the Canyon of Sorrows, and a sample from a subterranean location."

The last entry enumerated by his assistant intrigued Jaryl. "What's interesting underground?" He thought out loud. "Did you add the mines?" He shot the question to his studious-looking assistant.

Rowan nodded even though his back was toward his boss. "Active and disused ones, still searching. Does Arus have a gem reserve we don't know about?"

"If he found it," Jaryl adjusted the scanner's resolution when he had found an old healed wound on Zanir's left arm. "Rival traders would want to have it for themselves, but we're getting ahead of ourselves."

The scanner traveled down to Zanir's left hand and beeped again for trace findings. His brow furrowed when the words "MATCH FOUND" and a name flashed across his tablet.

Rowan gasped from his seat when he read the same message prompted on his screen. He then saw Jaryl keying a repeat command to analyze the trace evidence left on the fingernails. "We're not imagining this, right?" Rowan didn't believe what the instrument was telling them but after the tenth time, the truth was crushing them.

Jaryl was working on believing it, but he too was having a hard time wrapping the idea around his head. "Secure the findings to a protected site and continue with the scan. I—I have to make a report." He went to his corner office to prepare his preliminary report.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: This chapter will be weaving through episode three of the show while it appeared to be an off-cam story of how Wade's drone forces were in Arus so quickly, Chapter 5 and 6 have bits of my interpretation of how they were on Arus in the first place.

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

After Keith had parked the vehicle inside the castle's garage bay, the trio rode up the elevator to the nerve center. Allura and Keith left the elevator without a break in their conversation about the rising threat from Doom as they advanced to the castle's nerve center where they knew Lance was taking station at the time.

Larmina on the other hand, had other plans for the rest of the day. She decided to track down Daniel and Vince. She knew the boys wouldn't be in class since today's subject was Arusian History. She also had a hunch those two were on a prowl for a secret meeting place; she may have an idea on where to start.

Inside the control room and after learning what else was in the cadets' curriculum from Lance, Allura was stupefied how a conversation deteriorated right before her eyes as these two grown men started acting like teenagers. She didn't need to go out of her planet to hone her diplomatic skills because right now, tempering two-hot heads required a bit of delicate handling.

"Boys, boys," she sighed inwardly and finally stepped in before Keith could land a punch on his friend, Lance. She spared a sidelong glance at Lance, and she could see he wasn't backing down from the challenge even with a bad arm. She placed a placating hand on Keith's arm, silently asking him to stand down and let her speak. When Keith eased up a fraction, Allura reminded them what made them a great team in the first place. Good thing—the two lion pilots listened and let the matter go.

Allura understood they all have been apart and have not worked as team for quite some time so she suggested either Lance or Keith come up with training maneuvers in the future. She also knew the new cadets could benefit from the training exercises if they were brought in. Both men agreed and with the three of them, they started outlining some of the training modules as they headed to the sim room.

Once inside the sim room, Lance tabbed a command from his Voltcomm and several training schedules of the main lion pilots scrolled up on screen for the other two team members to peruse. Keith soon started adding the times the cadets could join them during their sessions and keyed in solo simulated schedules for the following week. Allura watched the two men agree from one item to another in the training curriculum. She was glad they were able to accomplish this without butting heads so when the last keystroke was entered and saved, they left the sim room. They were on the way back to the control center only to find Wade's drones barring their way.

* * *

Havran blinked at the zoomed image of the name flashing on the constabulary lab's screen. The lab technician at the constabulary began moving the findings to a secured section in the database, but he wasn't particularly interested in accessing that anymore.

He called Geldrin.

"Zanir was attacked by Deputy Marsh Nevs!" He nearly screeched to the communicator while he changed gears and hacked around the constabulary system for the deputy's file.

"_Anything else_?"

"You were right. We've been hunted by an ex-GA soldier." He skimmed through the deputy's work record and GA commendations before his program warned him that someone from the constabulary was tracing his location now.

"_Havran?_"

"Later," he abruptly disconnected his communication to concentrate on his commands. He typed furiously. There were strings upon strings of code, zipping across his monitor. He was trying to secure the identity of the constabulary officer doing the tracing but he kept getting walled up and to his consternation, whoever was on the other end had exceptional computer skills; he wasn't going to be beaten, not just yet. He enabled a secondary decoy program and when it beeped, the result of his ploy plastered a curious expression on his face.

"The insignia of the Faceless?" Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to ponder more. Seconds count and he couldn't risk staying too long in his spot with the recent information he had found. He began transferring all the data stored in the computer to a portable drive. He also ceased any effort to mask his cyber-trail since the hacker from the constabulary obliterated his firewalls one by one.

* * *

"You all right, Jazia?" Jaryl's gaze went from her monitor then back to her. He was certain he heard her cursing under an alien language.

Jazia hastily minimized the running program window on her monitor. "Yeah, I just—well, the chief didn't think I need to accompany Eli to Lazar," she said quickly.

Jaryl straightened up and knew very well the exuberant spirit of a new officer wanting to earn his or her place in the constabulary. "Don't worry about it. We all went through the paces." He gestured to the seated officers inside the station. "You'll get your moment." He nodded his encouragement and resumed heading toward the chief's office.

She watched him take his seat in front of the chief's desk. Chief Andros then tabbed a control making the glass partition turn opaque from view of everyone from the bullpen. A few heads noted the change, but she had a hunch Jaryl was sharing the results of his preliminary examination.

She returned to the program she was working and resumed breaking every firewall the spy had installed on the other end of the trace route. She found it amusing that she was calling the hacker a spy when she was too. Unfortunately, in her zealousness, she fell into the cyber trap placed by the other spy, briefly exposing her Drule code technique. She was able to mask her style in time, but those first few seconds would have been enough to tip off the person.

* * *

Back at Havran's home, the man loaded his pertinent items into a storage container installed on the back of his hover bike before crossing the room and going under the tarp where the landspeeder was hidden. He reached out to the dash and activated the vehicle's destruct system. When he was sure there was nothing on the vehicle that would point to their identities, he moved out from the under the tarp and spared a glimpse at the monitor.

The unknown tracker had locked on the coordinates of the house. He smiled as he started the engine of his hover bike. He knew when to cut out his losses, and this was one of those times.

"We'll play another day if you survive this," he muttered and pressed a button on the wall. Satisfied after hearing the short beep echoing inside the garage, he maneuvered the hover bike out of the garage and rode off to the agreed secret place where the others would be waiting for him. The whole house had been armed for fiery a reception the tracker will never forget.

* * *

"That was the fifth group assembling in the town square," Eli noted when they finally ended their business with Zanir's assistant.

Deputies Eli Parr and Wyx Andros were leaving _Arus Eyes_ shop when they spotted another group of Galaxy Alliance drones marching toward the center of town. Eli pocketed Zanir's old schedule book and journal inside his jacket.

Wyx looked over his shoulder. "Their numbers are growing, and they're frightening the children." His gaze fell on two kids bawling their eyes out as their mother carried them away from the drones' path.

"Chief Andros said the drones should be in their storage units and would only come online if the perimeter sensors read Drule foot soldiers were entering the town." Eli had just ended his call with their chief. He elbowed his colleague who spotted the elderly man too, shuffling out of the pathway of the drones as fast as his stiff extremities could.

"Someone should put him where he belongs!" The angry elderly man shouted at the top of his lungs before going into a wheezing fit while

shaking his walking stick at a Galaxy Alliance drone in front of him. Soon more and more of the robots poured into town. All of the drones' faceplates bore the frozen image of Sky Marshall's face.

"I knew it!" Wyx guided a middle-aged couple out of the drone's path.

"What?" Eli beckoned a family to head across the street to take an alternate route home.

"We should have subscribed to the GA newsletter!" Wyx replied.

"Very funny," Eli said, seeing that the other drones had established a perimeter. "This doesn't look good."

"They're boxing everyone." Wyx also saw the drones' formation, and he sprinted toward the elderly man who was going to launch another tirade. He hastily grabbed the elder before he got trampled by the drones.

"Sir, this isn't the time or the place to lodge a complaint; if you need to then you may go down the town council hall."

"Oh, you will be certain of that." The elderly man hobbled off to a safer area just as the ground trembled and a roof exploded from a blaster ray unleashed by a Doom fighter fractal.

In a space of a heartbeat, chaos twisted the town, ripping through every street corner much to the horror of the people always caught in the crossfire. Wyx watched grimly as he took shelter behind a store and motioned the patrons inside to be on the move once he gave the signal. The growing mayhem brought by Wade's drones and Drule fractals surged full force. It always seemed too good to be true to have the peace they were yearning for, and then the fighting starts again.

Several stores away from Wyx's position, the colorful banners caught fire and were all snaking toward buildings while Galaxy Alliance drones came in droves and swarms of Doom fractals rushed in from above.

The pandemonium raged on.

Another establishment exploded.

Screams of people trapped underneath destroyed buildings.

Sounds of bodies crushed by falling blocks of stones.

Vegetables, food supplies, wood, and concrete sailed through the air.

Marsh Nevs was tossed in mid-air like a rag doll, yet his bewilderment was temporary; he instinctively tucked his knees close to his body as he was about to hit the ground. He went into an easy dive-roll and was safely on his shaky feet in one fluid motion. If his old training hadn't kicked in, he would have suffered a broken neck from the concussive wave apparently coming from a block away.

He surveyed his surroundings. If it wasn't for his beloved planet going to hell in a handcart, he would have laughed; what else would the fates throw at him?

He soon got his bearings and began treading his way to see if he could lend a hand to any trapped residents. He had seen Galaxy Alliance drones both shooting down Doom fractals and cornering civilians.

Another explosion on an adjacent street caught his attention and took him out of his pensive musings. He saw two of the Voltron members destroying the drones as they reached for the cornered civilians. If not for Larmina's and Keith's superior combat skills, the people would have perished. He let his gaze roam, searching. He may have relinquished his symbols of office but he was going to assist people in any way he could. He went from one establishment to another, calling out for anyone who needed assistance.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I don't know if anyone was feeling lost while reading the story and didn't find the revelations running through appealing so here are some the OC backgrounds to ground visitors reading this little fic. I've label them as guest characters. :) Thanks for the suggestion cubbie.

**Guest Characters**

Vela was a Drule Intelligence agent who we saw in the first chapter, busy following up on the last intel surrounding Kala's last operation which was mounting an attack on Arus. She used an identity as Jazia Trell, an Arusian junior constabulary officer to have unfettered access around town. As the story rolled by, we found out she was one of "The Lost Children," a Drule myth running throughout all the enslaved homeworlds under the Drule Empire. She suffered a childhood injury that is semi-healed by an antidote. She occasionally has to take medication. The frequency of the dose always depends on the severity of the pain attacks. She was part of the group called "The Faceless" as Havran found out in Chapter 5 and if she's not careful, her old team seems to be 'out there' too.

Geldrin Ifin, Havran Ayel and Fellin Brax - are the three remaining spies. After Zanir's demise and the other terminated spies - these three have started calling the mysterious person that's after them as "The Cleaner" within their circle.

The constabulary officers: Chief Andros, Wyx Andros, Jaryl Marthos, Eli Parr (a non-Arusian) and lastly, Marsh Nevs who has already turned his back to his officers and profession as revealed in Chapter 4.

I won't be enumerating the other OCs since they were pretty much peripheral characters in the story.

This story weaves through episode three of the show.

Thank you for taking the time to review the story.

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

Jazia stumbled, but kept a tight hold around the little girl crying for her mother while making sure the girl's older brother was unhurt from the blast they had narrowly evaded.

It was a battle zone.

Everywhere, Wade's drones began taking pot shots at buildings and even blasting Drule foot soldiers too. She dashed behind a wall, watching Commander Keith Kogane of the Voltron Force slicing down the drones like paper and hacking Drule soldiers with his twin swords. Behind him, Larmina, armed with her Bo staff with deadly curve blade tip at one end, was equally up to the challenge. She dispatched the drones and the Drule soldiers with combat ease.

Jazia took note of their fighting pattern. They had seen her and were clearing the way for her to follow behind them. She kept close to the broken walls for cover until she could get to the children's mother who was beckoning them from across the street a corner away. The children's mother, along with the other survivors, was protected

by the only operable force field in the area. She chose her path carefully through the rubble when a male voice stopped her in tracks.

"Jazia!" Marsh yelled from inside the threshold. He was half-dragging a tenant out.

Jazia slowly swiveled toward the direction of the older deputy's voice. Half an hour ago at the station, Jaryl had come out with the Chief to share his prelim findings with the rest of the officers, and Jazia had been right. Based from the trace evidence left on the fingernails, Marsh Nevs became their first person of interest. Before anyone could formulate a thought, the town had come under fire.

She had left the constabulary to begin her search for Marsh but didn't expect the man to be hanging around helping people. His actions made her wonder if everything he was doing was just a ploy. Her own covert mission was making her reflect on things in such inconvenient moments.

"Where are you heading?" Marsh readjusted his hold when the other man finally slumped to unconsciousness.

Jazia pointed to where a group of survivors had taken shelter. She downplayed any emotion that might indicate her knowledge of Jaryl's report.

"Okay," he nodded his understanding when his trained gaze fell on Keith and Larmina who were busy clearing the area of Drules and Wade's drones for them.

As if on cue, Jazia saw Keith's signal. Immediately as their human cargo allowed them, Jazia and Marsh ran as fast as they could. Soon, the children were reunited with their mother and the injured man was being looked after by a nurse. The force field was reactivated in time to prevent the survivors from getting crushed against a piece of Drule fractal hull that came hurtling toward their spot.

The deputy poked his head out from behind a large broken wall which served as a temporary protection from an exploded fractal engine. Jazia was silent beside him, surveying the chaos with levelheadedness marked only by one who has been on the field too many times. Marsh spared her a sidelong glance and regarded the young officer. She had a detached composure throughout this emergency. Most greenhorn officers feel rattled in situations like this, and the instinctive need to hang on to an older officer's calm demeanor was sometimes their only lifeline. Marsh got a distinct impression, though, that this was just a walk in the park for Jazia.

A hard push from Jazia took Marsh's out from his reverie. He barely registered his legs pumping quickly just to get behind another concrete wall. Their temporary hiding place had disintegrated from a stray fractal blast ray.

"I'm going to check those other buildings," Marsh forced his concentration back on the town's emergency as he pointed to another row of stores. "There could be others trapped inside and besides," he purposefully cut her off, "the drones and the Drules are more interested in the Voltron Force than us."

Jazia clamped her hand around his wrist; Marsh was surprised by the strength of woman's grasp, but he didn't challenge her. Instead, he looked squarely at her. "I was surprised you were the one the Chief sent to bring me in."

"I understand revenge," she said quietly and let her gaze fell on his uniform-bare of his office insignia and division symbols.

He was taken aback.

"You're old enough to be someone's grown up daughter; what's **your** mission?" His stare bore into Jazia's soul. She didn't flinch from the steely glare but released her hold on him.

"I thought so." Marsh said as he prepared to leave their temporary sanctuary.

"Deputy!" The nurse called out from across the street. "There's still room for both of you!"

Marsh finally got up, leaving Jazia a puzzling look as he made a quick run for the buildings where he planned to seek out survivors and disappeared back into the chaotic, smoke-filled streets.

"Jazia?" The nurse turned to the junior officer with a concerned gaze.

"Don't worry about the deputy," she said in a loud voice. "He'll be all right." Jazia glanced back at the direction the former deputy had taken. The smoke was dark and thick, rising up to the skies. It's possible the man was making his getaway, but she was torn whether to follow him or observe the Drule attack. This incursion meant Lotor was active again or brought to life, if stories of his death were true. That meant the Drule Empire was rising from the ashes and it wasn't a cheery thought she didn't like to dwell on.

She took another assessment of the streets. The fighting was continually being drawn away by Keith and Larmina from the pockets of survivors. She stepped away from her hiding place and went back to the nurse, who was waiting for her outside the force field.

"Take care of everyone," she said and managed to drag the nurse toward her when a blast ray came too near their spot. She coughed from the dust and surveyed her surroundings. The nurse quickly lowered the force field using the portable device she was carrying and gestured for Jazia to follow her inside the shield, but Jazia shook her head. She needed to be somewhere; she wanted to check the spy's location, and these attacks proved a good cover for her to investigate.

"Jazia, where you are going?" The nurse cried out, hoping to stop the other woman in whatever she was planning to do.

Jazia heard the woman but didn't bother answering her and sought for an operational vehicle up on the street. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Just stay put until this is over." She had commanded so sternly that the nurse was shocked by the young woman's tone; her surprise doubled further when Jazia, like a seasoned warrior, easily neutralized three Drule foot soldiers heading to the survivors' spot.

"If Chief Andros is training his officers with those kinds of combat moves, I'm signing up!" A young man said to his friend, who nodded beside him.

The nurse frowned. "But I don't remember Wyx ever telling me about it," she said under her breath. Soon Jazia disappeared from her view.

Jazia slowly treaded her way along the street, checking one vehicle after another. She had destroyed a handful of drones and dispatched some of the Drule foot soldiers along the way.

Soon her thoughts led her to Sky Marshall Wade's campaign. According to the Sky Marshal, Voltron was a danger to the Alliance, and he was doing everything in his power to make the people see his way. However, just as she started to head in the general direction Marsh had taken, a sound of approaching Drule fractal shifted her attention. It was heading for the canyons. She wondered why this one separated from its group. She decided to follow it. She spotted a hoverbike and clambered on the vehicle. The hoverbike purred as if unaffected by the battle. She took the back alleys, away from the battleground. She then hit full throttle and the vehicle rocketed to speeds only a trained field agent could handle.

* * *

On the streets, Keith had been patched in with the team, thanks to Pidge via an open comlink. He saw what the team was facing at the canyon. He and Larmina had just successfully dispatched another group of Wade's drones when another platoon surrounded them. Regaining their bearings, Keith and Larmina were getting ready for the next round when Wade's drones short-circuited on the spot.

"That's good, right?" Larmina glanced up to Keith for guidance. Even if Larmina showed battle prowess, she was still feeling overwhelmed by what was happening. Her training took over so that she didn't have time to absorb the destruction left by the drones and the Drule attack. She was just relieved a senior officer was with her.

"C'mon, we'd better help the others," Keith said not missing a beat and raced out of the attack zone.

"Short cut!" Larmina pointed to the water grate. Immediately, Keith was at her side and helped her lift the grate cover from the slot. She jumped to the lower level catwalk followed by Keith. They ran the length of the catwalk until they were in front of a metal door off the right side. They turned the big wheel all the way until they heard the click and pushed the heavy door outward.

"If I remember my history studies," Larmina sprinted along the well-lighted corridor, "this leads to the Canyon of Sorrows." She indicated to the yellow paint color of the tunnel walls. "During the Zarkonian wars, the underground network was a way to get from one place to another without being detected."

"These also served as escape routes," Keith added, recalling his readings from when he and the team first came to Arus. "Much like the tunnels back in the Castle."

Larmina nodded. "According to a book I found in the castle's library, there were several huge networks running underneath out of the town. I haven't explored all the tunnels, but it said there was one that connected this town to the castle and another set of tunnels leading to the Gray Horn Mountains. I can't wait to explore those when I get a chance." They reached an intersection. She led Keith to another yellow corridor where they sprinted for a several more meters before finally coming before another access door.

The door protested a few times before the duo left the artificial lighting of the tunnel and stepped out under sudden glare of the afternoon sun that blinded them momentarily. When their vision finally adjusted to the brightness, it afforded them a view of the upper canyon ridge. The ground shook. Keith and Larmina made their way to the lions' position.

After several communication exchanges later, it was decided to let Daniel leave the safety of the Red Lion so he could race back to the castle and fly the now-operational Black Lion to the Canyon of Sorrows.

With the help of Daniel's Voltcomm-enhanced speed ability, he zipped back to the castle and soon flew Black to join into the fray. Relinquishing the command seat of Black Lion to Keith, Daniel, Vince, and Larmina beamed in utter excitement in being inside the cockpit of no less The Black Lion.

Larmina got a brief look at Daniel. She could see the cadet was on Cloud Nine, especially riding along with his hero, Commander Keith Kogane, leader of the esteemed Voltron Force.

_Oh, yeah, he is definitely foaming at the mouth. _Larmina tucked the mental thought for future ammunition against Daniel.

At the other side of the canyon ridge, Jazia observed the battle as the Spider Robeast focused its attack on Wade's Lion, leaving the Voltron force a little time to regroup.

These two mechanical robots were locked in a battle for superiority. Concussive bone rattling tremors after another ran through the canyons whenever the mechanical beasts fell to the ground. In the heat of the battle, Wade's Lion flicked its metal head to free its eye from the Haggarium gunk that has splattered across its face. The gunk flew straight to Jazia's hiding spot; just as she managed to dive away for cover, a drop plopped on her arm.

Suddenly her mind exploded with memories not her own; Kala's voice threaded in and out of her consciousness. Then Kala's blood lust raked through her soul, rapidly morphing into betrayal. The emotions boiled off from an abyss where pure terror resided in Kala's own soul. Jazia fought for control against the raging mental battle. She stared at the substance causing such violation.

She wobbled on her feet. Half the time, she wanted to tear out her eyeballs out from her eye sockets while the rest of time, she was trying to keep a sane thought together. As she searched around for a stick to remove the Haggarium substance clinging on her arm, the torment continued to the point she wanted to cut her arm off.

Jazia screamed for relief and battled against the torrential waves of Kala's final memories. Images showing Maahox's betrayal, when the occult scientist encased the Drule female commander in a tube pod with a spider grown from a Haggarium mix and took a bite at Kala. The spider immediately absorbed the woman into its Haggarium-enhanced biology.

Jazia fell once more to her knees, her fingers curling around the stick she had found tucked between the gaps of two boulders. She swiped away the blood trickling down her nostrils with her fingers as she feverishly scraped the torturous and viscous substance off her arm. She finally flung away the stick with the Haggarium and crumpled to the ground, breathing laboriously. She passed in and out of consciousness. Before she could understand what happened, she was caught in the throes of a childhood injury. It was too much for her nervous system to take, and with her awareness slipping, she slapped hard on her medscan wristband. The minicomputer adequately dosed her nervous system with the antidote just as darkness swallowed her. She never saw the lions form the mighty Voltron and consequently defeat the Spider/ Wade Robeast.

* * *

Marsh woke up with a start and surveyed the little room he was in. For a moment, his thoughts were incoherent, and he didn't recognize his surroundings. His body stiffened at the foreignness of the bare room just as his gaze settled on a holopicture of a happy young couple at their wedding day before the firestorms of the Zarkonian Wars.

It wasn't long when Marsh's senses oriented themselves and the memory of the apartment came back to him. He frowned. He has never encountered the feeling of missing time before. He checked his timepiece; it was only half past the hour since he had fallen asleep, still waiting for the computer to decrypt the last three names.

He coughed and massaged his chest. He knew he had overexerted himself a couple hours ago heaving pieces of blocks that were part of a roof where a family of four had been trapped underneath.

Fortunately, the family had sought refuge under their stone dining table, saving them from being crushed under the weight of the collapsed roof. With his help, the family had been rescued. He had lent them the landspeeder he had commandeered for the emergency and instructed the family to get examined at the town's hospital district.

Marsh moved around his tiny apartment and soon stepped out from his lavatory, clean but tired. The Doom fractals had left the planet and most of Wade's drones were out of commission. A soft beep chimed through the room and as expected, the constabulary officers raided his old apartment only they didn't find him there.

He had long ago transferred to a different address and didn't bother updating his details after closing his wife's case. All those years, he never gave up hope then his search came to a crushing halt three months ago. He felt his eyes sting again and the excruciating emptiness pierced his chest once more. He reached for the only surviving picture of his wife, and as he fell to his knees, he once again wept in anguish. "I never meant to fail you," he looked through his tears. The drops splattered on the small display monitor.

He had known that as long as he was alive, Naria would be too. He knew that she was going to survive and come back to him, or he would be rescuing her when he found her location, but he was too late. He was too far, always too late.

"Will you ever forgive me, Naria?" He gazed at his wife's young carefree face. It was hard looking at the picture, but he would never be parted from it. He pressed a button at the frame's base. The picture flickered, darkened before the images re-focused and the audio static died down. Naria's warm laugh filled the room. It swelled Marsh's heart hearing the recorded audio of their chat at their wedding. He had heard it many times but he promised himself, he would never forget his wife's voice.

The recording picked up their last conversation about taking a trip back to Naria's home province of Oliyar to visit her mother. The audio buzzed again until it fizzled completely into static. Marsh carefully pressed the stop button. It also automatically slid out a small compartment where a small cylindrical chip lay in the middle. He took it out and their picture disappeared. He lifted his pendant from under his shirt. The pendant he held in great care had swirling patterns at the center with three smaller downward swirling lines, enclosed inside a ring. He used his fingernail to push the tiny clasp of the receptacle set at the middle underside of the pendant to house the cylindrical chip inside and snapped its back cover shut. He reverently held the pendant for a few more seconds before tucking it back inside his shirt. He took a deep breath and walked toward his desk.

Unknown to Chief Andros and his constabulary officers, Marsh had decided to terminate the spies that littered his planet. It had been his ongoing project for several years now. He had kept tabs on persons he knew to be sympathetic to the Drules. However, keeping tabs on spies wasn't satisfying him anymore, and his badge of office could no longer keep the pain away. He had known it was going to come to this, and there was no turning back.

He poured himself a drink and checked the progress of his decryption program. A short chirp from the computer denoted its task done, and the remaining three names were displayed on screen: Havran Ayel, Fellin Brax, and Geldril Ifin.

He immediately went to find their home and business addresses if they had any. The search didn't take too long, and he was surprised to find that these men had occupations. Havran worked as a technician at the town's appliance center; Fellin worked as part of a security for a local banker; and Geldrin was an assistant to the construction foreman.

Marsh then opened a file stored in his computer. He hadn't believed that when he was raiding the secret base in Lazar Province, one of the spies was careless enough to leave a map of the other spies' hideouts. If that had been a sign of compensation since Fate knew he won't be reunited with his wife, Marsh finally accepted it as a sign from providence.

Studying the map carefully and committing to memory the final hiding places, he started crossing out locations he had visited. The tunnel with the secret well would have been evacuated by now, so there was one more place those three spies would be hiding now. This one was near a chain of caves near the Cavern of Remembrance, again outside of town, and south of the Canyon of Sorrows. He typed a few commands that wiped out all the files on his computer. He tossed the portable computer to a compactor and began packing his gear.


	8. Chapter 8

Hope everyone's enjoying the story so far...

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

Allura surveyed the destruction sustained by the town and preceded to the medical camp. The glow of the sinking afternoon sun drew muted pinks and deep indigos in the sky. She approached the survivors on portable beds, or seated on chairs. She stopped to lend a calming presence to a child sitting alone on a medical bed.

When a nurse finally returned to tend the wounds of the child, Allura stayed with the girl. She only left the child's side when Allura saw her drifting to deep sleep. With a parting smile, she continued going from bed to bed, conversing with her people, asking gently if they were staying with an injured member or if they were seeking a place for the night; they were indebted to their princess's efforts and the Voltron team. She offered those homeless to go to the awaiting Castle transport vehicles so they can spend a night at one of the Castle's converted auxiliary hangar bays.

An hour later, the nurses activated the portable heat lamps in different areas of the medical camp for the survivors once the temperatures started dropping to a cooler evening. Her heart went out to the families who had recently lost loved ones during this brief incursion of Lotor's forces. She clenched her fist in frustration. She began turning options in her mind as she contemplated measures she can likely adopt to defeat Lotor, since it seemed terminating him only led someone to re-animate him in the end.

Feeling frustrated at the turn of events befalling her people, she decided a stroll would help her calm down. She left the medical camp and was on her way out of the area. She was greeted by one of the Castle's medical staff returning from their short break to relieve the doctors and nurses on the ground. The camp was set up to attend the less injured citizens, preventing congestion at the hospital with peripheral cases. The princess trudged slowly along the road, surveying the broken buildings under the flood lights.

Hunk had rolled in with several heavy machinery into town from the castle to help clear the street littered with debris. He had delegated the cleanup work to the three cadets who manned respectively each heavy load vehicle.

At the next corner, Allura saw Red and Black lions on hover mode. Keith and Lance would coordinate with Chief Andros and his officers on the ground. The pilots were using the lions' sensors to sweep for other survivors trapped inside buildings. The constabulary officers clambered into their landspeeders following Red Lion to check the rest of the town while the other group followed Black Lion, heading to the opposite side of the town. Ahead to her left at one of the remaining intact drone storage units, was Pidge. He was salvaging any working onboard drone control board to examine the wayward program.

Allura found herself heading to the park, picking her way through carefully since the ground had been dissected by blaster rays; pieces of the statues had littered the ground too. She looked back at the scene on the street and felt the abject horror of what her people were going through again. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to stop the snaking arm around her neck, followed by a stinging pain coming from her back.

* * *

The moon was shining high as the rescue operations changed to the Charlie shift, and the emergency crews relieved the wearied on-site Beta teams. The rescue efforts would continue through the night and will mostly like extend to the next day or until every person was found.

It was already past midnight when Red Lion made its way back to the direction of the castle just as the Yellow Lion was flying out toward town.

"You lost a bet?" Lance said through the comm and gave his friend a wave from the cockpit window as they passed by each other.

"Yeah, Pidge got me good at the Defenders Game," Hunk waved back. "Pulling double duty?" He also noticed his friend's cracked voice over the comm. Lance sounded exhausted.

"Didn't realize it until Red here roared a friendly reminder to me," Lance replied, not bothering to hide another yawn.

"Who is it this time?" Hunk good-naturedly teased his tired friend. He knew Lance's flirtatious streak.

The Red Lion's pilot chuckled over the comm. "We all just practically had a day in Arus, which was rudely disturbed by the Drules and Wade's 'I-Want' demands so I can have an off-day."

"Uh-huh," Hunk said, not believing a word, "Don't tell me you want a re-match so I can find out her name." He laughed, recalling the incident where he 'defeated' Lance at the gym ring not so long ago.

Lance burst out laughing too. "One round with you on the mat was enough. Good thing Keith wasn't there to see my glaring defeat at the GA Flight Academy."

"It was all for a good cause and for the kids," Hunk reminded Lance as he adjusted his lion's thrusters.

"I'm coming clean, big guy. No one today. All mind in the job. Ask me tomorrow," Lance joked while he transmitted the latest statistics of the medical camp and status of the rescue efforts for Hunk's reference.

Inside his cockpit, Hunk typed a short message to Pidge telling his friend he lost his friendly bet, and in a few seconds Hunk received a digital copy of an unreleased track from his favorite group, Stereolactic. Storing the file to his personal folder, he said "Glad the cadets and I have managed to get the roads cleared quickly this afternoon."

"You think we'll get the emergency efforts done by tomorrow?" Lance asked.

"I believe we can." Hunk looked out from his cockpit window and saw the flood lights on cranes, lighting the demolished buildings. "Yellow, out."

"Roger that, Hunk." Lance replied, automatically falling into the archaic form of answering communication calls.

Silence soon descended inside the Red lion's cockpit and in Lance's mind, he could hear his lion roaring again.

"Easy there, friend. We're almost home." He unconsciously patted the side of his console. Over the years, Coran had finally relented and gave permission to the current lion pilots to read the journals of the previous Voltron pilots that he had managed to safeguard throughout the Zarkonian Wars.

Apparently, the mystical side of the individual lions would eventually permit some sort of neural connection with their respective pilots and right now, Lance heard his metal friend's tiredness. Lance sat back, listening to the soft hum of the cockpit controls and reached inside his flight jacket. He took out a well-preserved leather-bound journal.

There was a large "V" emblazoned on the journal's face which Lance could still feel the power emanating from the battered letter. His gaze traveled along the edges, and he ran a finger on the alien symbols embossed across. Set under the "V" inside a sun shape, was a faded monogram "RC" sitting between twin volcano peaks.

Former Commander Ordrel "Runner" Crall from the Ioron sector was the Red Lion's pilot from 60 years ago. Lance had tried looking up the planet, but all of that now was space dust. He wasn't sure if the commander's home planet had met a cataclysmic extinction event those years ago because he couldn't find any footnote about the planet. He shuddered at the dark thought. There had been a time in Earth's history; it came close for his own planet to disappear off the Sol System.

Lance couldn't deny his own fascination with the old commander. He imagined if the man was like him—roguish good-looking and a sharp marksman, yet he would like to think all of the previous Red pilots had been. He flipped a very tan page. He knew Coran would have his hide for taking the journal out from castle's walls, but reading the journal takes off some boring sentry duties once in a while. Unfortunately, Runner wrote only a few pages. In fact, he only recorded two experiences around the mind link with Red. Lance managed to decipher them while not getting cross-eyed, and yet for all the time Lance had spent flying Red, he wondered if Runner's experiences back then was a result of his own alien difference. Lance guessed Runner would have been at least humanoid in physiology, because if he were as wide as Manset, he would have seen changes made in the command seat. As far as Lance could tell, there were none. Unfortunately, there weren't any other Red journals Coran had managed to save for comparison.

However, anything about Voltron's ethereal side ran over Lance's head so he just took it all in stride and sat in hope he would one day understand the unlikely integration of science and magic in Voltron's makeup. He checked his lion's energy reserves. "We both need a recharge, all right." He tucked back the journal and maintained cruising speed.

Reaching the castle's great hangar bay, Red flew in gentle ease. Lance powered down the great mechanical beast and soon he sleepily stepped out from the maw of his lion and had the elevator in his welcoming sights when a concerned Keith strode out to meet him halfway.

"Lance, did Allura say she'll be out longer than usual?" His commanding officer asked.

The second-in-command of the Voltron Force stifled a yawn as he swiveled, facing Keith's piercing and worried gaze. "I've been trying to reach her at the comm, but still no answer," Keith added without missing a beat.

"She didn't give me any heads up," Lance replied and was immediately alert. All traces of tiredness had fled his mind as he regarded his friend. Keith normally didn't get too overly concerned about Allura's safety; he knew full well how much all of them helped in teaching the princess many of the defense moves, especially Keith, who had been thorough with his training modules for her. Allura saw the importance of it too since she didn't want to be viewed as the weakest link of team, and they welcomed a gentle if fighting spirit into their ranks.

Lance also knew something else beside deep mutual affection had developed between his two closest friends; whatever it was, he'll have to figure out later. He was heading back to his lion and had disengaged the auto command to stow Red Lion back to its hidden den under one of the Arus's volcanoes for a recharge when Keith stopped him.

"You've been out longer so it's your turn to take a breather," he suggested firmly.

"What was the poll on Wade overriding the drones' systems even after a reset from Castle Control?" Lance asked.

"Pidge suspects Wade used a worm program. Could even be the same technique which led to Voltron's decommission in the first place, and since Allura acquired GA satellites orbiting Arus -"

"Listen," Lance abruptly began, "we were all in the discussion. It wasn't your fault to recommend it to Allura, and I think if Wade didn't go dark side on us, it would have been a wise move for planetary defense." Lance wasn't sure why Keith would lay blame on himself when it was a sound judgment.

"So Pidge's running diagnostics on all five, in case there is a hidden program that will turn those systems against us?" Lance clarified.

Keith nodded. "We'll definitely start reviewing operations proposals and see what security upgrades we can come up for the lions too."

"And here I was already getting use to all of Pidge's recent upgrades," Lance commented mirthfully. "Which, I have to say was a record for me by my standards."

"It had to be done if Pidge found a rogue program in Castle Control," Keith reasoned. "Arus will be defenseless once Voltron goes rogue again."

"Right, and Wade made it clear he wanted to be included in our enemy list too," Lance agreed. "I'll keep the fort." He started toward the elevator.

"I'll radio in once I find the princess," Keith said over his shoulder and headed to one of the castle's auxiliary garage where their smaller ground vehicles were parked.

Taking the driver seat, Keith activated the tracking program, and as expected, nothing came up on his screen. Next, he switched to Blue Lion's location, and the signal came strong; Blue was at the same spot where he had left Allura that afternoon before joining Lance in the rescue operations. He began reviewing his actions starting from the last time he saw Allura at the medical camp.

The compact vehicle hummed its finely tuned engine and zoomed into the night. Keith glanced out the window as the stark Gray Horn Mountain range rose at a distance and stood black as the sky. He turned his attention back on the road and pressed his foot further on the accelerator and the vehicle zipped along the road.

* * *

Allura woke up with a thumping headache, but thanks to the bumpy route, it jostled her senses to full wakefulness. She was on the floor of the vehicle, and they were traveling very fast, judging from the zipping shadows through the window. She felt her arms sending tiny needles pricking her skin, which meant the trip had been longer than an hour. It also meant she was well beyond the outskirts of town.

She rolled on her back when the groundspeeder encountered a bump and was surprised to hear a male voice groaning from the farther end of the vehicle. She was about to whisper Keith's name when she stopped herself. She shifted her position with whatever freedom her bounded arms and feet allowed her, and saw the rest of the passengers with her—two men bound and gagged, and neither man from the Voltron Force.

"Anyone starting to wake up before our arrival?" Marsh called over his shoulders from the driver's seat.

Allura jerked at recognizing the voice. She mentally activated her tracking beacon installed in her Voltcomm, and hopefully, the Castle's computer would alert any of the team members to mount a rescue for her. Of course, she knew by now that the team would have been worried since she had not checked back with them since this afternoon.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Princess, but I can't let you tell your friends this soon." Marsh looked down at her over his shoulder.

"_Keith, can you hear me?"_ Allura pushed the thought through her bond as she saw a glass divider slide up to protect the driver's compartment from the sleeping gas that was descending on her.

Already four hours behind the vehicle carrying the princess, Keith finally saw the blip of Allura's Voltcomm trace going online. It flashed on his screen; he pushed the accelerator as far as he could. He had been steadily cruising along the rugged terrain when the bond stirred too.

Keith caught his breath as he applied the brakes. His mind reeled while simultaneously marveling at the sensation. He couldn't deny he had been out of practice and unprepared to maintain the open bond-link to Allura since his return; the simple thought-brushes he and Allura had shared earlier in the day hadn't prepared him for this intense mental touch. He took a deep breath and let his own meditation techniques guide his concentration.

"_Allura, show me,_" he prodded her gently through the bond. He began seeing her projecting images of gas, two unknown men bound and gagged. Just before Allura's eyes fluttered closed, she sent Keith a final image of Marsh Nevs face back to him.

Keith reached out tentatively through the link; he was relieved to sense she was in no immediate danger. Allura can handle herself with all the extra training skills he had taught her; he wouldn't have to worry too much whenever she found herself separated from the team.

An old memory flashed in Keith's mind. He remembered how Lance once argued with him that all his exercises would turn the princess into the next Xena, warrior princess, but when Allura told them what she wanted to learn, they wisely dropped the topic. Of course, not without asking who was Xena, and giving Keith a death glare. Keith had explained to Allura that Xena was fictional character from an old Earth TV show which Lance liked to watch at the rec room and not an actual princess in distress. Although, he could tell from Lance's smirk that that was what the princess thought. His lips quirked up in a semblance of a small grin. He knew his heart was smiling that day, and no other princess has enraptured his heart like her. He reached beside him to drink from his water bottle. The action was enough for the memory to fade as he concentrated in the present.

He consulted the map; according to the direction the vehicle was heading, it was going to Oliyar Province. Keith resumed his high speed pursuit. He had asked the onboard computer working for possible short-cuts but when the computer found none, he gave Castle Control an update.

Pidge had Vince search other best possible routes for the commander in case the Castle's database had more information than the vehicle Keith was using. The Green Lion pilot's brows lifted as he skimmed through a different file while Vince took care of the routes requests.

"Well, according to the constabulary records, Deputy Marsh Nevs has a very spotless record. He could take you on Keith." He didn't bother playing down the tiny mirth in his tone since he knew Keith had always been stellar officer up until becoming the most wanted man—courtesy of Sky Marshall Wade. "He was honorably discharged after two tours during the Zarkonian Wars when he was mortally wounded. However," Pidge called up for additional information on screen. "There's a supplement note. He's wanted for questioning for the murder of Zanir Gor." The diminutive Baltan shared a glance with Vince, who was equally concerned for the princess. "Do we contact Chief Andros?" Pidge asked.

"_I'll contact Chief Andros, but for now, I don't want the constabulary__in this until I get the princess out first."_

"It's odd. Why would he take the princess to Oliyar?" Vince mused aloud. "Because I don't see anything special there at all." He had been multi-tasking and was going through the province's information stored in the Castle data banks. "They have a few mineral ores, a decent population density like the town near the Castle, and some agriculture resources."

"_Transmit everything you have on Nevs and the provincial information, Vince._" Keith ended the transmission.

When they had completed their tasks, Pidge set the Castle defense on auto and waved to the young cadet to join him to the castle's kitchens one floor down. "Lance will be waking up soon," he said when they entered the elevator and pressed the button for the kitchens. "So let's grab something to eat and head to the hanger," he suggested. "I'd like to run a diagnostic on all the lions anyway; then we can work on the satellites later." He strode out of the elevator, took an empty satchel out from a shelf, and began filling it with his favorite fruits, energy drinks, and a couple of his favorite Baltan sandwiches.

"Good idea," Vince agreed as he chose also to make a couple of sandwiches for himself. "That battle with Wade's robot lion and the Drule Spider Robeast might have done something else to the lions." They packed their food and headed back to the elevator that would send them down to base of the castle where the primary hangar bay was located.

"Wouldn't it have been easier if he had taken Black?" Vince asked as they approached their destination.

"He could have," Pidge replied as the two young men left the elevator and slowly made their way up to computer consoles set up at one of the cat walks. The Black Lion was parked in front of them.

"Hello, Black!" The Baltan young man reached up in a manner of patting the mechanical beast's side. Even though operating under limited sentience due to the mystic side of Voltron which came to the creation of the lions, it still stupefied the rest of the team. Black gave off a feel that he was watching over the diminutive Baltan and the new cadet, Vince.

"The lions were drained by the Haggarium from the Spider/Lion Robeast. We can't risk draining Black or any of the lions if Lotor decides to make a surprise attack at night."

"Two specials for one; has he done that before?" Vince lowered his bag under his own working console that Pidge appropriated for him to use. He booted his console on and glanced in awe at the lion's schematics. There was beauty that went into the lions' engineering, and Black was no exception. He decided to download the battle recordings for study.

Pidge scrunched up his face whenever he found himself in deep thought. "Yeah, years ago. And Allura never wanted us to be caught flat-footed again." They were soon silent as they became absorbed in checking the lion's systems and busy with their respective musings.


End file.
